FEATURED SHOW Friday, May 25, 6 PM RVA Music Night, feat. Butcher Brown, Dharma Bombs, Piranha Rama @ Friday Cheers – $5 (order tickets HERE)
Friday Cheers is a great thing. When the summer weather hits, it offers us all a chance to get out of the dark clubs where the best live music is usually found to go cavort in a beautiful outdoor setting and see a band for the kind of bargain prices we usually only find in the subterranean musical underground. Now, if you ask me, the music on offer doesn’t always entirely live up to the promising circumstances Friday Cheers offers. However, an RVA Music Night featuring three excellent local acts from three entirely different genres, all coming together for one night to present some of the best sounds the Richmond music scene has to offer? That’s a sure thing right there.

Butcher Brown are at the top of the bill, and this soul-jazz-funk instrumental quintet has only increased their prowess over their years as a band, most recently proving it with a killer live LP named after the downtown club where it was recorded — Live At Vagabond. These five musicians have powers undreamed of by many who wield instruments, and their credits with a variety of other projects, from Marcus Tenney’s work with No BS! Brass Band to DJ Harrison’s solo project on Stone’s Throw Records, are more than sufficient to demonstrate that fact. This Friday Cheers show will see them departing the intriguing atmosphere of jazz clubs for a performance under the sky, but their gorgeous, fun music is sure to thrive with the change of environments.

The Dharma Bombs have some jazz influence as well, but this acoustic ensemble mainly draws inspiration from old-time string-band sounds of the Appalachian mountains — which they brought into the 21st century with aplomb on 2017 LP Old Time Romance. If Butcher Brown will get you moving and grooving, these guys are more likely to have you dancing a jig to their bluegrassy tunes. One thing’s for sure — you won’t be able to stand still. The garage rock sounds of relative newcomers Piranha Rama, who just released debut EP Beach Body last month, are a great way to start off the evening. This whole show is basically perfect, so arm up with your citronella bracelets and head down to Brown’s Island for a night of great tunes under the setting summer sun!

Wednesday, May 23, 9 PM Chico, Silver Twin, Black Plastic, Space Koi @ Flora – $5
It’s the middle of the week, and you need a pick-me-up to make it to Friday night. We all know how this goes — I’m in a similar situation myself, if I’m honest. Here’s one potential solution: head out to Flora tonight and catch Nashville rockers Chico doing their thing. This quartet’s just released their latest album, Ballet For Bastards, on which they display their intriguing musical melange of spaced-out prog guitars, catchy alt-rock melodies, and psychedelic atmosphere. It’s the sort of thing that will really kill when given the space to get loud — and Flora’s back room has a pretty perfect space in which that can happen, so you’re gonna want to come watch the musical fireworks.

There are some pretty great local bands on this bill too, starting with Silver Twin, who’ve been dishing out their catchy, poppy rock n’ roll around town for a while now. Their debut EP, Jaw, came out last fall and is still a really fun listen — chances are that by now, they’ve got some new stuff for us that’s even better. Newcomers Black Plastic are bringing sounds in a similar vein, though with a bit more of a mysterious presentation on the whole. And of course, Space Koi will round out the entire evening with a unique slice of dubwise psychedelia that splits the difference between the Grateful Dead and King Tubby. It’s just what you need to carry you through the remainder of the work week.

Thursday, May 24, 6 PM Bloodlet, Sinister Purpose, Unmaker @ Champion RVA – Free!
The eternal return of 90s bands continues apace, and I for one am not complaining. After all, while Bloodlet often got lumped into that whole mid-90s mosh-metal thing due to their being signed to Victory Records, they were really doing their own thing entirely, something never truly recognized or given its due at the time. They were definitely a heavy, pounding band with relentless midtempo grooves and terrifyingly harsh vocals. But unlike the mid-tempo straight edge chug-monsters of the era — most prominently Earth Crisis — Bloodlet used subtle musical complexities to create a deeper, darker atmosphere within their music.

Their classic 1995 album, Entheogen, was finally reissued a couple of years ago by A389 Records, and it’s held up incredibly well over the years. Indeed, it’s impossible to avoid the Southern darkness that infects this Florida band’s music in much the same manner as NOLA legends Eyehategod. Forget all the straight edge associations and get ready for some spooky, metallic sludge from these returning heroes. Granted, they haven’t made a new album in over 15 years, but based on some intense footage from their performance at last year’s This Is Hardcore Fest, it seems they haven’t lost a single step. The more straightforward — but still a bit spooky — hardcore of Sinister Purpose, and the metallic goth-punk of Unmaker, will get things started at this show, which is unbelievably free. Do not miss out on this incredibly rare opportunity! Be there.

Friday, May 25, 9 PMThe Prabir Trio, The Flavor Project, Deau Eyes, Kenneka Cook @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
So what’s up with Prabir these days? Having been a local music scene fixture for over a decade, first with Prabir and the Substitutes, and then with Goldrush, these days it seems this singer-songwriter with a taste for science, the Beatles, and killer power-pop has started up yet another project. While it may have started as more of a solo thing (social media sites know the project as merely “Prabir”), recent performances have been billed as The Prabir Trio, with final Goldrush drummer Kelli Strawbridge and bassist/producer extraordinaire Russell Lacy rounding out the lineup.

They’ve been cooking up some new tunes that fit right in with Prabir’s previous work, and this show is apparently the release celebration for The Prabir Trio’s first EP, so fans of the scientific power-pop genius should definitely be stoked for this one. The Flavor Project, an ever-growing soul/funk musical ensemble masterminded by bass whiz Gabriel Santamaria, may actually be headlining over the Prabir Trio at this show — I can’t entirely be certain. Either way, the fact that this gig will also feature sets from Deau Eyes and Kenneka Cook should be enough to get anyone paying attention to what’s awesome in the RVA music scene down to the Camel, ready to get rocked.

Saturday, May 26, 4 PM Abuse Of Power, Wise, Red Vision, Flatline, Outsider @ Strange Matter – $10
Hardcore matinees are a vanishing breed today — not like 20 years ago when there was at least one every week. However, they do still happen, and while these all-ages shows tend to get going at a time that’ll seem ridiculously early to anyone over 21 and used to staying at the bar til 1:45 AM in order to see the headlining band’s entire set, they’re important avenues guiding the next generation into the music scene — and therefore, still pretty essential even for the old heads to pay attention to.

This one is bringing a couple of killer modern hardcore bands to town. Abuse To Power hail from Atlanta and have that same midtempo groove, complete with subtle melodic elements, that made bands like Outspoken and Mean Season such essential listens a quarter-century ago. With them on this jaunt is Cali crew Wise, who take things in a heavier direction but still have a bit of that 25-years-ago vibe, reminding me of Turning Point at some moments and Sick Of It All at others. These rad hardcore groups will join Negative Approach-style VB ragers Flatline and local up-and-comers Red Vision and Outsider, both of whom come with a tough, aggressive sound that’s sure to get the mosh pit moving. Come out and see what the kids are up to — you can go get Taco Bell afterwards, just like the old days.

Sunday, May 27, 7 PM Cognizant, The Human Race Is Filth, Burn/Ward, Van Hagar, Swamp Nuts @ Lakeside Tavern – $8
I have to say, I fucking love that Lakeside Tavern has become a somewhat reliable spot at which to catch grindcore shows. I never would have predicted that in a million years, and yet it has come to pass, and I couldn’t be happier. This weekend, it’s Dallas grinders Cognizant who’ll be coming through for a blastbeat-heavy rager at Lakeside Tavern, and they’ll bring a really intriguing sound along with them. On their recently released split with Bad Rites, this group veers between full-on metallic grind destruction a la Assuck and some mathematical complexities that’d be more at home on a prime Cryptopsy record. All of this plus vague hints at a psychedelic atmosphere — which might be more apparent if these songs weren’t blowing by you at a million miles an hour — makes for one of the more interesting and original grind sounds I’ve heard in recent memory.

They’ll be joined on this bill by Pennsylvanians The Human Race Is Filth, who’ve come through in the recent past with their metallic crust sound, and are certainly welcome back anytime! This band has some definite hints of Tragedy in their sound, but a more prominent influence seems to derive from Harmony Corruption-era Napalm Death — and that’s never a bad thing. Three Richmond locals will bring us a well-rounded evening of hyperspeed metal destruction. Burn/Ward, who kind of disappeared for a while, will hit you with enough excellent blackened power-violence rage to make you glad they’ve returned. Van Hagar’s chunky, punky take on grindcore definitely emphasizes the core, to brilliant effect. And rural goregrinders Swamp Nuts will get things started off right with some super-deep vocals and super-heavy breakdowns. Get stoked.

Monday, May 28, 8 PM Petrification, Funeral Chic, Deathcrown, Shark Eyes @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
The Maryland Deathfest tour-overspill brings its bounties to Richmond once again, as Strange Matter is fortunate enough to play host to Portland death-metallers Prosthetic and North Carolina’s Funeral Chic as they begin the trek home from the biggest metal show of the year. Petrification has risen to fame and glory on the back of their debut EP, 2017’s Summon Horrendous Destruction, which finds this quintet channeling the brutal, trudging glories of early 90s death metal pioneers like Autopsy and Incantation. Songs like “The Headless One” and “Stagnation of Transmigration” offer plentiful opportunities for headbanging, over which their vocalist delivers guttural tones that can only be called sepulchral in effect. So yeah, basically it rules.

Funeral Chic are more inclined toward raw, thrashing speed than the gloomy sludge of Petrification; they’ll offer a nice contrast to the Pacific Northwest death-doom crew with the sort of blackened metallic hardcore they deliver on 2016 slab Hatred Swarm. As far as local support, we’ll be graced with a performance from Deathcrown, a ripping American death metal quintet with members who’ve done time in a variety of Virginia metal mainstays over the years. Opening up the whole evening will be Shark Eyes, a new project from former KEN Mode bassist Andrew LaCour and members of Revocation that goes hard with the speedy metal riffage, at least from what little I’ve heard (less than a minute, total). I will say, though… I’m intrigued. The total effect should be one of complete pulverization. And who doesn’t love that?

Tuesday, May 29, 9 PM Deeper, Basmati, Ashes @ Flora – $5
Let’s end the week where we began — over at Flora, catching a killer mid-week bill of indie rock bands with first-rate songwriting chops and the skills needed to deliver them to us in excellent fashion. Our headliner for this show is Chicago group Deeper, who mix math-rock and complex art-pop into a pleasing and memorable witches’ brew on their brand new, self-titled LP.

They’ll be joined on this bill by local alt-rockers Basmati, who’ve been plying their trade locally for damn near a decade now, and only getting better as they go. Expect some slacker vibes and some killer melodies from this talented trio. And of course, we’ll have Ashes to kick things off with some noisy indie tunes that are sure to get your blood pumping and your body moving. What more could you want?

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Local songwriter Saw Black is due to drop his new album, Water Tower this spring, and recently the Americana artist gave us a taste of what we can expect with his latest single, “Melted.”

In this single, the co-owner of Richmond’s Crystal Pistol Records, whose real name is Justin, puts an upbeat spin on a dark subject. “Melted” explores addiction, specifically opioid addiction and overdose and the impacts it can have on those who use and the people around them.

It’s a personal song for Black, who said he was inspired to write the song after hearing of a few of his former Powhatan High School classmates who overdosed on prescription opioids.

“It was a few years ago, a brother and step sister overdosed together and he died, and she was in a coma and eventually came out,” he said. “I played baseball with the guy at a young age, their story was the most gripping to me. I thought it was a super scary thing, and I just felt like it was super sad, but an important story to tell.”

But at first, Black said he was apprehensive about making a song that was loosely based on the two, and tackling addiction in his music.

“I really didn’t know how we were going to make it work, I didn’t want the arrangement…the music of the song to be as depressing as the lyrics,” he said.

Luckily, his brother Parker Black and local musician and the other half of Crystal Pistol, Pete Curry stepped in to make Justin’s vision come to life and ultimately created his favorite song on the record.

“They really helped with the arrangement, bringing it up to almost that kind of disco beat, and I felt like that really made the song,” he said. “I think songs are really cool, oftentimes, when there’s sad lyrics, but the song sounds happy. It kind of sets the stage for the lyrics.”

While happy, spirited cheerleaders grace the cover of the upcoming album, and the guitars give the song an upbeat tone, the lyrics are heavy and powerful and paint a vivid picture of an everyday reality and struggle for so many people making for an almost hauntingly beautiful song.

The most recent CDC study shows opioid deaths are at an all-time high across the country. In 2016, opioids (including prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl) killed more than 42,000 people, more than any year on record. And the epidemic is growing rapidly in Virginia as well, with 1,268 people dying in 2016 from an opioid overdose, and of that number, 465 of those deaths caused by prescription opioids.

He’s personally known three other people close to him to overdose on opioids so it’s an issue that hits Black close to home, another reason he wanted to make the song.

“Now with fentanyl that’s being used to cut all sorts of different drugs, we’re just seeing more and more of this stuff happening,” he said. “It’s created a lot of people {who become addicted} that are not even crazy drug users because they don’t know exactly what they’re getting.”

Black recorded “Melted” a year ago at Russell Lacy’s studio Virginia Moonwalker in Mechanicsville. Curry played bass on the track, with Black’s brother Parker on drums, along with Doug Fuller on lead guitar, and Matthew Kuester on pedal steel. The single is the second song that Black has dropped ahead of Water Tower’s release. The video for the title track “Water Tower”, which was directed, filmed, and edited by Chris Damon of Good Day RVApremiered on For Fork’s Sake last month. The forthcoming album will be Black’s follow-up to his debut, Azalea Days.

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Black’s hope with “Melted” is to help someone who may be grappling with an addiction as well as urge people to reach out to their friend or someone else around them who is battling addiction.

Be on the lookout for an article on RVA Mag on Black’s forthcoming album, Water Tower, due out on Charlottesville-based WarHen Records as well as Crystal Pistol Records May 18. Until then, you can catch Black at Friday Cheers June 1 with Tyler Childers, which will be the first Richmond show after the album comes out. Following the release, Black plans to tour in June, with a show later in the month at Hardywood. You can pre-order the vinyl of the album here.

It’s almost that time of year again when thousands will descend on Brown’s Island to listen and dance to the sweet sounds from local and regional musicians, as well as national acts that take the stage as part of Richmond’s longest-running outdoor concert series.

Now in its 34th season, Friday Cheers, which is produced by Venture Richmond Events and presented by Bell’s Brewery, has put together a stacked lineup for us this year including Richmond acts No BS! Brass Band, Kenneka Cook, Saw Black, Butcher Brown, Dharma Bombs, Pirhama Rama, along with Rhiannon Gidden, Valerie June, and Tyler Childers, and many more.

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Instrumental jazz five-piece Butcher Brown has been killing it on the local scene for years and back in November, the quintet droppedLive at Vagabond, a collection of their songs performed at the local music venue on West Broad Street. I personally love getting down to their funky grooves, they are one of the best acts in Richmond and catching them right next to the water on a warm Friday night is the perfect setting for this band.

And Appalachian Dixieland folk/swing quintet Dharma Bombs are always a good time and get fans dancing with their raucous, energetic shows and upbeat tunes. Hopefully, we’ll get to hear some songs off their latest record, Old Time Romance.

Saw Black also has a new record coming out in May called Water Tower, his follow-up to his debut folky/Americana record Azalea Days. The singer/songwriter and co-owner of Crystal Pistol Records is carving out his own niche in the local music scene and hopefully, we will get to here a mix of both his releases.

Soul/funk powerhouse Kenneka Cook is probably the most anticipated local act on the bill. She also just dropped her debut album, Moonchild in February, which RVA Mag had the chance to talk to her about back in September. While she’s already developed quite a significant following with her live shows and music video releases, for those that haven’t had a chance to hear Cook yet will be in for a serious treat at her Friday Cheers performance.

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Memphis-based folk/blues artist Valerie June and blues/R&B artist Devon Gilfillian out of Nashville will kick off Friday Cheers on May 4. The series will run through June 29 so you have plenty of chances to catch some good live music over the summer.

Tickets for Friday Cheers are $5-$10 for individual shows, and season passes cost $40 from March 6-April 1 and $55 after April 1. You can snag yours here and you can check out the dates for the entire lineup below:

Host of web series Eat Travel Rock Kelly Rizzo recently made a trip to Richmond to capture something all of us city dwellers already know too well: our kick ass music scene.

Rizzo highlights Richmond as a hub for all music lovers, no matter if you love reggae, folk, rock, or metal there’s a mix of every genre in our little town. She makes her first stop at local staple Plan 9 Records in Carytown and then heads over to chat with Lucas Fritz, co-owner of The Broadberry and The Camel to hear more about RVA music and what sets us apart from other cities along with a small mention of The National.

We get to hear some tunes from Dead Man Winter and a reggae dub showcase at The Camel before Rizzo moves on to fellow local music venue Strange Matter. She focuses on rock here and this was sort of glossed over. No interview with promoter Mark Osborne, who could have given her the lowdown on all the hottest bands to see and more, but at least Smatter received some love.

GWARbar was up next and while the visuals were killer, she focused more on the cocktails instead of the overlords of metal and their debauchery and crazy antics.

Rizzo wrapped up her tour of Richmond’s music venues with a look at Friday Cheers, an outdoor concert series on Brown’s Island which runs May to June. A popular summertime favorite, the series landed some awesome bands and musicians this season including Angelica Garcia, People’s Blues of Richmond, and Connor Oberst and Sleepwalkers.

I wish she would have highlighted the metal, punk, and hip hop scenes a little more, but I think it still captured some of the best Richmond has to offer musically for a tourist looking to visit the area.